Erik Telford
Senior Vice President of Public Affairs
Erik Telford is the Senior Vice President of Public Affairs at the Commonwealth Foundation.
Erik is a senior public affairs and communications executive with more than 15 years of diverse experience across public policy, advocacy, and public affairs institutions. Before joining the Commonwealth Foundation, Erik served as the senior vice president at Stand Together Communications, the Koch network’s marketing and communications capability. Erik has also served as the president of the Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity, a state-based watchdog journalism organization. And at Americans for Prosperity, he was the executive director of RightOnline (an initiative he founded) and the director of membership and online strategy. He is currently on the board of the American Commitment Foundation.
In 2013, Campaigns & Elections Magazine honored Erik as an “Advocacy Innovator” and in 2011 as a “Rising Star in American Politics.” Politics Online named him one of the “Top 10 Who Are Changing the World of Internet and Politics.”
English offers new remedy to tolling of I-80
Congressman Phil English is proposing to ban tolls on all existing federal freeways, similar to a proposal introduced by Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison. We don’t think that is…
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Are 37 million really poor?
Robert Rector Q&A on the latest poverty numbers: When you look at the people who John Edwards insists are poor, what you find is that the overwhelming…
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Consumerism and High-Cost Health Care
Health Hog on the idea that individual consumers can’t be allowed to make choices in major health care decision (which leads to the idea that government agents need to…
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Falling Bridges: The Nation Doesn’t Face a Crisis
John and Maxim Lott in the NY Post take on the “crisis” in bridges. They note that “structurally deficient” bridges have little or nothing to do with a likelihood…
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Read More: Falling Bridges: The Nation Doesn’t Face a CrisisHealth Care
Health Care Reform: Diagnose, Then Prescribe
Following the latest Census Bureau report that 47 million Americans are without health insurance, the talking heads and newspaper editorial boards are renewing their call for “something to…
Commentary
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Fumo still doesn’t like Turnpike Lease idea
Patriot News article cites Vince Fumo as evidence that legislators don’t like the idea of a Turnpike lease. As Fumo put it, the turnpike “is what it is,…
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Read More: Fumo still doesn’t like Turnpike Lease idea
Paying interest, not earning it
Matt Brouillette’s commentary “Paying interest, not earning it” in the Sunday Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. And did you see Gov. Rendell’s response that was put out about 8 hours after…
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‘The Ten Cannots’…again
Although we posted “The Ten Cannots” last week, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review used them on their editorial page today with some commentary. They are so good, they are worth reading…
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Socialized Medicine is Already Here
Michael Cannon writes that the US health care system is already half socialized (and it is the half-socialized aspects, not the half-free parts, which is to blame of most…
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I-80 tolls the best of ideas … or the worst
Eric Heyl on Tolling I-80 in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review The most significant problem with this proposal — and it is a particularly nagging one — is that…
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Minnesota’s Fiscal Priorities: Too Bad Bridge-Building Isn’t a Sport
Tax Foundation commentary on looks at the Minnesota bridge collapse, and debunks the myth of there not being enough money for transportation by pointing out how there is an…
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Who Pays for Health Insurance?
Wall Street Journal column discusses how it isn’t just the uninsured who don’t benefit from the current health insurance model (and how a standard deduction for health care would…
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Rendell revives idea of leasing turnpike
The Patriot-News reports that “Rendell has said that if the process promised annual returns approaching $1.5 billion or more, he likely would ask the General Assembly to reconsider the…
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Turnpike Open for Bidding
Governor Rendell has issued a request for qualifications for bidders on a Turnpike Lease. I’m not clear how a “request for qualifications” differs from “expression of interest” or an…
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High school graduates not proficient
Report from PA Partnerships for Children reveals that 45% of Pennsylvania high school graduates last year did not pass the 11th grade PSSA (on the first or 2nd try).
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The Ten Cannots
THE TEN CANNOTSBy Reverend William J.H. Boetcker (1916) You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot help small men by tearing down big…
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Tolling I-80: What a crock
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review on Harrisburg’s transportation boondoggle: “It was hatched behind closed doors without debate or public input.” Read today’s commentary from Matt Brouillette too. Topics on…
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Fix health care by making Americans care about costs
Michael Cannon in USATODAY.com on fixing the real problems in health care. Topics on this page AmericansUSA Today…
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Choosing to Pay Interest, Rather Than Earn It
Is it financially better to earn interest or to pay interest? Seems like a rhetorical question. It should be. However, Governor Rendell and the General Assembly chose to make…
Commentary
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S-CHIP expansion is not about ‘the children’
Heritage Foundation argues that S-CHIP is not about ‘the children’ but about moving towards socialized medicine. Topics on this page The Heritage Foundation…
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Calls for heads to roll at PHEAA
The Patriot News says PHEAA employees who think they would earn more in the private sector should go earn more in the private sector (by which they mean not…
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